Night vision devices for motor vehicles are well known, for example from PCT Published International Application No. 02/36389. They have night vision sensors that acquire an image of the vehicle surroundings, for example based on near infrared with active illumination (NIR) or based on thermal radiation (FIR), with a visual range that as a rule exceeds the visual range of the human eye. The image of the vehicle surroundings is presented to the driver via a display unit. The display unit can be a conventional display in the dashboard or a head-up display that projects the image onto the windshield by way of a projector. Head-up projectors are known, for example, from German Published Patent Application No. 101 31 720.
United States Patent Application No. 2002 0070852 describes a display control system for motor vehicles that enhances the driver's safety when the vehicle is in motion. The system monitors the vehicle's state and activates or deactivates various system components, such as microphones, loudspeakers, displays, and input devices.
With night vision devices in motor vehicles, the particular problem arises that while on the one hand driving safety is improved by the greater visual range, on the other hand a night vision device also represents a risk potential.